The primary aim and benefit of Thermaculture is to reduce or eliminate insecticide and fungicides in food production. (Image source: ccharmon/Flickr)A new study by the North Dakota State University (NDSU) has compared two years of fresh apples exposed to periodic Thermaculture heat-treatments with conventionally grown apples and concluded that heat-treatments create higher inducible levels of phenolic metabolites and related antioxidant activity

According to Dr Kalidas Shetty, the lead scientist on the project, "We did biochemical analysis of six different apple varieties, both heat-treated and conventional from 2016, and four varieties from 2017. Our goal was to determine if apples would respond to instantaneous heat-shocking protocols developed by (Agrothermal Systems), in much the same way as studies we published in 2016 where we discovered significant differences for wine. We observed consistent inducible phenolics in both studies."

Shetty added, "There is increasing insights that foods high in phenolic metabolites and related antioxidant activity have exciting potential in developing better food systems for dietary support for the management of oxidation-linked non-communicable chronic diseases such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.”

There is increasingly good evidence that Thermaculture raises these levels of healthful diet relevant metabolites such as phenolics linked antioxidant activity significantly in apples and wine grapes. It is also quite probable these nutrients would be increased if Thermaculture were used on other fruits and vegetables now that we have seen this effect on two different crops," he further added.

Marty Fischer, Agrothermal Systems CEO, has worked closely with the team at NDSU since 2015 and has been involved with other studies evaluating fruit chemistry and related positive metabolic changes. He believes that induced phenolic metabolites and antioxidant activity are potentially a self-defence response triggered by shocking the plant with periodic heat.

According to Fischer, "these metabolic-related biochemical markers are clear indications of plant self-defence activation and are the reason that wines treated with our process taste better. Now, with the apple results, we feel fruit and vegetables treated with this process would most likely have improved taste characteristics as well."

Fischer went on to indicate that the higher phenolic metabolites might also extend shelf life and storage, acting as natural preservatives.

Fischer added, “The primary aim and benefit of Thermaculture is to reduce or eliminate insecticide and fungicides in food production. The idea that the same heat-treatments make food more healthful extends storage and shelf life, and provides better sensory characteristics is going to change the way we grow and market fresh and processed foods."

Fischer concluded, "It seems inconceivable that a new process contributing significantly to reduce pest problems, improves taste, increase healthfulness, potentially extend shelf life and save on input costs would take long to adopt. But, changing accepted practices is the challenge we face."